Broken Promise
by IaithCariad
Summary: Riku never intended to break his promise. But as he goes to make amends, a new threat arises, and Riku has to save the day. Will he be forgiven? Or will he keep his secret?
1. Prologue: Riku

This is my first story that I've written on my own, and it really stems from my immense boredom during debate class as well as others (and I write serious stories when I'm bored…how sad is that?). I have no idea what possessed me to put it online, but here it is. I've already got a complete outline and 18 handwritten pages (but I haven't put them in the computer yet…stupid debate), but if anyone has good suggestions to improve it (NOT to tell me what a sucky writer I am) I'm all ears. Well, not literally. That's kind of freaky…

Ok, so the beginning is a bit boring, just two rather melodramatic scenes setting it up. It does get better, though. There's a bunch of flashbacks and stuff later. I guess I'll just get on with the story since I'm just sitting here with nothing else to say except

**Disclaimer:** Everyone else has one, so here's mine. I don't own KHI or II (I used to think that this meant that nobody had their own copy of the game…I'm slow) but I do own everything else that's not in it. I don't know if any of my friends will make a guest appearance yet, but if they do, they own themselves. KHI and II spoilers, so if you haven't played them TURN BACK NNNNNNOOOOOWWWWW!

_**Prologue part 1: Riku**_

Kairi stood looking upward, forlorn. "Sora, are you really…" She trailed off, not wanting to finish. Somehow, it seemed like if she said it, it would be spoken into existence, and so she denied it with all of the power in her newly regained heart. "No, it can't be! I won't let him go!" she cried.

"So, you have awakened at last, Princess." Kairi, Donald, and Goofy all turned towards the sound of a man's menacing voice. Xehanort's voice. "The Keyhole is now complete. You have my thanks…but now it's over," he said with a sweep of his browned hand. He advanced towards the trio, knowing they were nearly defenseless without their Keyblade master. Not against someone with his power.

"Don't make another move!" Donald said as he brandished his staff.

"Gawrsh, do ya think we can take him? All by ourselves?" asked Goofy nervously.

"I don't know," replied Donald, uncertainty in his voice as well.

Suddenly, Xehanort halted in the middle of the chamber. His body was twitching oddly, almost as if he was struggling to move. "Im…impossible…" he grunted.

"No!" Kairi recognized Riku's voice even before he appeared in front of Xehanort. Or rather, his heart (in an unusually human form) did, glowing with a golden aura. Apparently he still retained some power over his body, though now n the form of Xehanort. "You won't use me for this!" he said as he planted his feet and spread his arms. This was more for emphasizing his point than actually holding him back, as he had the substance of a mere apparition at most. Sora had made an ultimate sacrifice for Kairi's safety, and now it was his turn to help her the rest of the way.

Kairi stepped forward hesitantly. "Riku…"

"You've got to run! The heartless are coming!" Riku cut her off. As if on cue, Shadows began to appear from their dark portals around the room. Xehanort was still summoning his little minions, and the longer Kairi hesitated, the less time she would have to escape before the place was overrun.

She obviously couldn't just to leave him, but there was such urgency in Riku's voice, now reflected through his eyes though he was silent. Before she could make a move in either direction, however, Donald grabbed the young princess. "Run!" he yelled. It was a rather odd noise, a yell combined with a quack, Riku noted with a hint of amusement.

"Tr…aitor…" Xehanort managed to get out from clenched teeth. Riku turned to face his adversary. Now that Kairi was safe, he had one more thing to attend to. When Sora had freed Kairi's heart at the cost of his own, Riku had realized his mistake. Immediately he had tried to expel Xehanort's heartless from his body, but by then his hold had grown so strong that Riku's heart had been expelled instead, and his body had been transformed to the appearance of Xehanort's original body. Now Riku, through sheer force of will, had regained enough control to stop Xehanort, and he was preparing to retake his body for good.

Xehanort had other ideas. He was not about to relinquish the gift of a connection with the world of matter so easily. His heart was indisputably stronger than the boy's, aided as he was by the powers darkness granted. But why fight Riku when he could simply rid himself of the newfound nuisance? He couldn't move his body, but he could move his Heartless. He directed their intentions towards Riku's unprotected heart. Easy prey.

They swarmed over him instantly, pinning him to the ground. He was weaponless, and even then he would have no contact with it without a body. Only strength of heart could possibly save him, but not against so many. Riku grimly held on to the light surrounding him, for that was the only thing shielding him from them.

Heartless are obnoxiously single-minded, however, and nothing short of the Keyblade could turn them from their purpose. They clawed ever harder at the force they so detested, weakening it alongside any hope Riku may have had. He had known he couldn't do it, but he didn't enjoy the reality being thrust upon him. Of course, Xehanort did.

Now that he had regained compete control over the body of his young host, Xehanort strode across the floor and stood over him triumphantly. He wasn't happy with the loss of the princess, but this certainly helped ease his displeasure. "You must either accept darkness or be destroyed by it. You have made a foolish choice."

"Yeah, I…was stupid…" Riku said with considerable effort. "…when…when I listened to you…in the first place!"

"Then be consumed by the darkness you reject!" Xehanort turned away from him. It was a pity, really. Riku had made such a willing pawn, requiring so little effort to control. But with the Keyblade master gone, he wouldn't need much help anyway. He descended the right set of stairs by the platform, leaving Riku to his fate.

Riku could feel himself fading now. The light was gone, and it was only a matter of time before he was completely gone, sent to…wherever the Heartless go. Or would he be gone forever? Either way, he would never see his friends, never tell them how sorry he was for screwing everything up. Just before he surrendered, though, he heard a voice, faraway and ethereal. "Riku!"

He looked up. _Kairi…?_ No, the voice wasn't hers. Not high enough. Vision was no help; he couldn't see hardly anything at all. Just a faint blur of shimmering aquamarine through the dark haze. _One of the princesses? _Yes, one of the ones he'd kidnapped, but not one of the Seven. _How does she know my name…?_ He wondered dimly as that last patch of color faded to black. The deafening silence overwhelmed him, but not before he heard one last cry, distant and muffled though it was, that answered his question. "Rikki!"

Well, that's my first prologue. It's not terribly interesting, I know, but it gets better! Also, anyone with any good ideas for a title? I'm terrible at naming stuff, so if anyone has a good idea for a title please let me know about it, ok? Or maybe later when you start to know more what the story's about. Whatever. Vamo' Alla Flamenco!


	2. Prologue: Naki

As a young and rather inexperienced author, it was quite a revelation when I discovered that when I put a story online, people actually read it! Well, thanks to all those people who reviewed or put me on alerts and stuff. And thanks to anyone who read it at all!

This is the introduction for my original characters, so now we finally get to discover

what's going on…sorta. This chapter's considerably longer. YAAY! And I do think it's dandier than the first one. :)

_**Prologue part 2: Naki**_

"Naki Durcih, you look absolutely breathtaking!" cried one of the servants as they stepped back to survey their work.

It was true, the 15-year-old's beauty was certainly hard to ignore. Her golden hair had been pulled back into multilayered curls that fell to just past her neck, while a few tendrils remained free to fall about her delicate face. Cool, natural shades of makeup had been applied to her face to bring out the unusual color of her eyes, an intense bluish-violet. Her dress, a bright aqua color, was covered by a sheer fabric with silver glitter patterns. Her fingernails had been painted a similar. Shimmering, sequined sky-blue shoes completed the effect of a water goddess from ancient times.

Naki turned to see herself in the mirror, and started with shock at her reflection. She had been dressed up for many occasions (she was the prize of her family), but never so extravagantly. She felt almost as if she were seeing her real self for the first time. She smiled, and her cheeks glowed. She loved feeling beautiful…until she remembered what it was for.

"The Prince is going to love you!" Naki's mother swept into the room, adorned with her own elaborate finery.

_Don't remind me of the Prince,_ Naki thought crossly, though her smile never wavered. Prince Halan was supposedly the most handsome, charming man in the whole land, but Naki knew better. He was a spoiled, narcissistic brat who had never been told he was lacking in anything, and thus expected everyone to love him. Which, pitifully, they did.

He had had his eighteenth birthday recently, and now it was time for him to choose a bride. Every maiden sixteen or older was to come attend a royal ball. Naki thought it was a stupid way to do things; one can't get to know the one he plans to marry by one dance with her! Plus, everyone in the kingdom knew he would marry Lanelle, the most beautiful, haughty, and most importantly, rich young woman in the land. Her father was an unofficial advisor to the royal family as well, so the ball was really just a formality.

Naki thought it all very unfair as she rode by her mother in the carriage to the palace. She was only fifteen, so technically she shouldn't be going to this at all. But her parents, who had never managed to attain status among the upper circles of society, hoped to change their situation. Wouldn't it be wonderful if the Prince chose her? they said. And at the very least, exposing her to the rich society of Hyperia would certainly bring some notice to their family so she could marry well. _I'm just a prize pumpkin being sent to the vegetable contest,_ Naki thought bitterly. _Maybe I'll win a prize. "Most orange." Now that has a nice ring to it._ She had learned long ago that her adoptive parents cared little for her outside her beauty. What was commonly called a blessing she considered a curse.

Because of all the others coming to this event, traffic moved even slower than normal. The ride took over an hour, during which her mother fussed constantly over Naki and intensified her displeasure with the whole ordeal. If she reapplied that lipstick one more time…but no. The vehicle had finally made it to the northwestern corner of the palace, and the carriage door swung open. One of the carriage men (Naki didn't know which) helped her from it to the ground. She looked up at the great white castle briefly, then at two giggling sisters trying to calm each other as they disappeared down a great hall. Her look of scorn was barely held in check. She paused for a breath to regain her aura of indifference, then began to walk into the northern entrance of the great castle. "Good luck, my dear!" she heard her mother call out behind her. _Sorry to disappoint you._

The doorman guided her to the great room (as if she could have missed it, what with all the people surging towards it) with the motion of his hand. "Just straight down this hallway, miss. Tell your name to the man there, and he'll announce you." She nodded in acknowledgement and walked briskly towards the throng of people waiting their turn. _More waiting. Hooray._ Naki didn't want to be here in the first place, and she certainly didn't need to stand around getting crushed on all sides by the Prince's seemingly inexhaustible supply of fangirls. The two girls immediately in front of her were no longer gigging but chattering nervously. Naki tried to ignore their inane comments, but to no avail.

"I've never seen him up close. I wonder if his eyes are really as green as they all say."

"Nevermind that! I wore flats, but I my hair's so poofy! I don't want to look too tall!"

"Did he shave this morning, or right before the ball…?"

"Ahhh! I think these little jewel things are coming off! Do you have any glue?"

"No, you idiot! I don't carry glue around with me!"

"You know, if I become the princess, you can't call me an idiot."

"If you became the princess, I would be really mad."

_If you became the princess of this country I would shoot myself_, Naki thought. Her nerves were wearing thin, and the ball hadn't even started yet.

"Why are you such a cynic?" a servant had asked her once. As she tried to shut out the chatter and giggles of the girls surrounding her, she wondered why anyone had bothered to ask. Everyone was just so…_shallow_ here. Relationships were formed around money, love was only allowed within your level of the social hierarchy, and beauty was treasured above character, or any level of intellect for that matter. Her parents had set her up with many rich young men, and it amazed her how difficult it was to carry on an intelligent conversation. _I don't want to be a part of this. I don't want to live this meaningless existence in this tiny little world._

She found herself at the front of the line faster than she expected, however. She had sympathy for the man, who had more reason to be frazzled than anyone else. "Your name?" he asked tiredly.

When Naki opened her lips to say "Naki Durcih" however, another name sprung to her lips, out of nowhere. "Miyara," she said, surprising herself. _But it's who I am, right?_ Ignoring the man's skeptical look at her foreign name, she went with it. "Naki Miyara."

He shrugged apathetically as if to say "Whatever," then turned to announce her name as if to make it exciting. "Miss Naki Miyara!"

She smiled wanly at his attempt, then walked down to the figure standing at the end of the surprisingly short red carpet. She grasped each side of her skirt and slipped her left foot backwards into a curtsy. Prince Halan bowed as well. As they came back up, Naki noted dispassionately that he had shaved right before the ball. She turned to go, but then the Prince gave her a charming smile that would have made any girl's heart liquefy, save one. What were the odds?

Naki wanted desperately to walk forward and slap him across the face, but it goes without saying that such an impertinent action would not go over well. Instead, she let her indignation out with a saucy grin in return, greatly overdone and dripping with sarcasm. _De-nied._He seemed taken aback at her blatant refusal to melt before him and his "charm," but she was already gone and the next name was being called. Naki smiled smugly to herself. _Someone needs a reality check._

For the first time, she looked around the grand hall. It impressed even her. The ornately painted ceiling, from which six crystal chandeliers hung, was higher than that of Naki's three-story house. She wanted to look at the beautiful scenes on it, but her neck would quickly suffer for it. The cream-colored dance floor was no less impressive, probably capable of housing a small village. Stained-glass windows ran from ceiling to floor all along the wall, casting multi-hued rays upon the already colorful array of girls with their extravagant dresses. At the far end, the band (nothing short of a full orchestra) was tuning, but one could hardly hear it above the dull roar of conversation at the near end.

There were quite a few young men other than the Prince present (though not nearly enough), obviously because the Prince wouldn't be able to spend more than a minute dancing with each girl. Naki mentally shook her head. _So what else is new?_ This whole world existed in one dimension, she knew, but after ten years there her sanity was beginning to wear thin.

Apparently, Naki was among the last to arrive. Shortly afterwards several servants arrived and removed the red carpet, opening the entire dance floor for the festivities. The Prince walked over to his chief advisor (Lanelle's father) and began to talk with him briefly. Naki noticed that as he glanced around, his eyes landed upon her more than once.

Naki was sincerely glad that nobody could read her thoughts right then.

Finally, the Prince turned around and the room fell silent except for one lone violinist who seemed to have trouble getting that E-string just right. Halan waited a second for him to finish, then began to speak. "I am honored that you saw it fit to come to this ball tonight. There are many very lovely ladies here, but I can only choose one." A slight sigh escaped the lips of all the girls, minus one. "But do not let that make you unhappy! This is a royal ball, so enjoy yourselves! After all, I am not married yet!" And with that he shot a rather disconcerting glance Naki's way as the music began to start.

_Who does he think he is?_ The underage girl quickly disappeared into the sea of young women surging towards their idol. The first song was a lively waltz, and Naki did enjoy dancing. It wouldn't hurt to have a little fun, right? She turned towards the abandoned group of young men. There was one, sort of by himself. He had wasn't very handsome, and Naki could tell he would be ignored for most of the evening for that alone. Still, his deep green eyes, given an odd sort of depth by the jet-black hair framing his face intrigued her. "You don't want to be here, do you?" she asked.

He looked at her mildly. "Seems we have something in common."

She cocked an eyebrow in surprise. "I thought I was hiding it fairly well."

"You are."

"Then how do you know?"

"Experience. Observation."

"Nobles don't get much experience observing real-life people," she countered.

"Castle servants do."

Naki was taken aback for a second. What was a servant doing at a royal ball, especially one of such importance?

He seemed to understand her confusion. "They needed props here, to show how superior the charming Prince is to his lowly competitors, and I was volunteered. What's your excuse?"

Naki smiled wryly. "My parents think I actually have a shot at marrying Halan."

"Do you?"

"I seriously doubt it. He's marrying Lanelle, isn't he?"

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?"

"Seems fitting."

"Hm." He looked at the floor, silent for a bit. Naki observed his features. He was still young, but quite a bit older than her. Perhaps 20? He seemed mature for his age, whatever it was. Maybe too much so. "Are you standing her because you want to dance or just because you want to look at the ground I walk on?" His rough voice snapped her to reality. She looked up at his previously expressionless face, now tinged with amusement.

Naki bit her lip in embarrassment. "Sorry."

"No need to apologize to a servant. So, do you want to dance or not?"

She looked up at him, then noticed the Prince looking at her. She smiled as she turned back. "I'd love to, Mr…?"

"Kade. Without the Mr., though." He took her hand and led her onto the floor. "And you are…?"

"Naki."

"Ah." She placed her hand on his shoulder, his midway up her back. "You know, you're funny."

"What's that mean?"

"You're just the opposite of most people I see in the castle. All the girls are attracted to him, but the one he seems to like – you- completely hates him. It's ironic, and funny."

Naki smiled as they began to dance. Finally, someone who thought like her. _Wish he'd be a servant at _my _house; then I could have a friend._

Naki and Kade danced for quite a while; the whole time Naki watched the Prince dance with various girls. Naki was surprised to notice that Lanelle wasn't among them. Finally, Naki began to feel hot. She assured Kade she would only be outside for a few minutes before leaving for the western balcony.

She breathed the cool night air in deeply. The balcony was on the ground level, so all one could see was the western carriage drive and a beautiful view of the castle wall. She looked up at the stars, shining brightly. The one right in the middle of the night sky was the brightest of all. She had always liked that one star, its position never changing. Constants were nice. She stood for much longer than she originally intended. She looked up at it, wishing this moment could be fixed in space. Just her and this beautiful night…and Halan?

"Good evening, my dear."

She whipped around to see the Prince standing there with another attempt at a charming smile on his face. _What do you want?_

"I've been wanting a dance with you, but unfortunately that petty servant seemed to think that he was good enough for you. I wanted to help you from that humiliation, but all those other girls who wanted a dance…well, I had to humor them. I've been looking for you, but I didn't think to look here until just now. You understand, do you not?"

_I understand perfectly,_ thought Naki. _But it's nothing I didn't know already._ She tried to smile, but it was closer to the look of someone who's just bitten into a rotten apple.

If Halan noticed this, however, he didn't show it. "Come, my dear," he said, offering his hand.

There was nothing that would have repulsed Naki more, but she obediently laid her hand on his. Suddenly, there was a glimmer on the back of her hand, shining with an unearthly, silvery glow. But it was just for a second as Halan grasped her hand and led her indoors. She was thankful he didn't notice, or at least, didn't seem to. This had happened before, but never in front of anyone. It was odd but she'd never paid much attention to it. So she didn't.

He put his hand on her waist, her on his shoulder, and they danced. Naki hated every second of it. At the end of the song, she waited for him to release her. And waited. The next song started, and they were off again. _What?_ She saw Kade (alone) and shot a helpless glance his way. His response was concerned and sympathetic, but he made no move to cut in. Of course, he didn't have the authority and would probably be punished if he broke ranks in such a forward manner.

After the fifth song, Naki was becoming worried. What was so special about her, anyway? Why couldn't he dance with any of the other girls? They'd probably gang up and kill her when she left or something. _Just leave me alone!_ "Your Highness…" she said tentatively.

"Why, yes?" He sounded incredibly interested in what she had to say.

"I need a breath of fresh air," she said, fanning herself for effect. Maybe then, he'd let her leave.

"Of course, my dear. I'll accompany you."

_No! Go away! What's your problem? Can't you take a hint?_

But they never got the chance. The castle clock began to strike midnight, signaling the end of the festivities. The girls all seemed quite disappointed that it was already over. For Naki, those five songs had been the longest of her life. The Prince made his way to the front of the crowd by the entrance. "It has been a wonderful night dancing with you, but now the time has come for me to choose. However, it will be a difficult decision, so I'm afraid you must wait until tomorrow." The girls sighed as he bowed and turned to leave. But as he turned, he shot a glance at Naki. Her heart sank the instant she saw it. _Wha…_

Naki could not believe it. It was so quick, maybe she was wrong. _Why?_ Lanelle was the one. She was rich, powerful, beautiful, and most of all she adored Halan. Why would he choose a bride who so obviously hated him? Surely he wasn't _that_ stupid. The instant he left she ran to the western balcony and climbed over it. She sat on the stones beside it so the balcony shielded her from sight of the arriving carriages. She put her face into her hands and began to cry softly. Things weren't supposed to turn out like this.

She was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she never noticed the figure approaching her until it was too late.

_Too easy…_

Hooray, the chapter is FINALLY done, thanks to the inspiration of reviewers like you. I also have to thank Hampton the Hamster for keeping me awake while writing this. You know, it was only a few paragraphs in version 1.0. Guess that's what happens when you want to make it good. Well, so that's my original character, so now the actual story's going to start next chapter! Hooray! And if anyone gets any good ideas for a title, please let me know!


	3. Ch1: Memories Past

Sorry for the LOONG update! Once again, thanks to everyone who reviewed and inspired me to keep working. I'm going to be starting Driver's Ed pretty soon, so I'll be able to work on this a lotduringclasses(my dad's a professional driver and he already taught me). Oh come on! You do it too, I know it!

**_Chapter 1: Memories Past _**

Riku paused outside the door to his last class. Maybe Sora actually forgot. He'd missed last time, so that could have thrown off his annual rhythm. After all, he hadn't given any sign that he remembered this whole day. It was unusual, and a little disappointing. However, as soon as he entered, all doubts melted in the face of Sora's impish grin.

"Happy birthday to you!" sang Sora at the top of his voice. Riku shook his head as the rest of the class turned towards him and joined in. Sora never forgot, did he? It was just like him to make him think he had, though. Riku put a hand to his forehead in "mock" embarrassment. "Happy birthday to yoouu!" Well, at least Sora didn't sing horribly off-key like he had a few years ago…

"You're 17 now, ya?" asked Wakka as he sat down next to Riku.

"And still a sophomore," Riku replied. "It's kinda sad, really."

He was on the older end of the spectrum in his former class, and that, in conjunction with the fact that he had missed a year of school (no thanks to DiZ), had landed him in the most immature, unruly, and…well, _sophomoric_ class in the history of Western DI. Kairi, as well as his other friends, were a year ahead of him now. At least Sora was there to share his pain…and increase it when necessary, like now.

"So, what'dja think?" Sora asked as he plopped down into the desk on Riku's left side. Ms. Cascante had never been too bright as far as seating arrangements.

"Pretty good, considering you took voice lessons from a crab."

"You had fun there and you know it!" Sora retorted.

"I was watching you dance around with singing fish! How could I not?" Riku laughed.

After they had returned to the islands, Sora had looked forward to resting after he got back, but he decided to leave on a tour of the worlds with Riku and Kairi after only two weeks. Even patient Sora was tiring of trying to convince his distraught mother that no, he was _not_ kidnapped and no, he was _not _insane! Besides, going to the worlds hadn't been as fun when he had to beat up creepy little things trying to eat his heart. This trip was what they had originally planned: three friends on a fun adventure that had lasted almost the rest of the summer. A small smile crossed Riku's face as he remembered how freaked out Kairi had been when she saw Sora in Halloween Town. _Classic._

"Ok, everybody, can it! I'm Mrs. Flynn for those of you who don't remember," said the short woman who walked through the door. Two dark, beady eyes glared at the class through the wire-rimmed spectacles perched on her hard nose. Everyone remembered her; the class fell silent. After last year's incident where the whole class had been suspended for a day, the teens had come to fear the name of Mrs. Flynn. Well, except for Sora and Riku.

"Who's that?" Sora whispered.

"Shhhh!" hissed Selphie. "Want her to expel you?"

"You have an assignment that will probably take all class period. And NO group work!" she barked, eyeing Tidus' raised hand. She knew all too well what had happened last time. There was an uncomfortable moment before the 5-page worksheets were passed out.

"Why's everyone so…"

"Shhhhhh!"

"These are due at the END of class! No exceptions! Get to work!"

Riku looked at the sheets in front of him. Ah, well, math was one of his better subjects anyway. He pulled out a pen and began his attack on the mass of x's, y's, and graphs.

"NEVER do a math worksheet in pen!"

He jumped slightly in his seat and looked up to see Mrs. Flynn's hard face as she smacked a pencil on his desk. Riku stifled a laugh, but he couldn't hide a smile. Mrs. Flynn was so over-the-top it seemed almost comical. He shook his head and began again, this time with a pencil.

As was typical, Riku's mind began to wander as he worked. He understood a lot of this stuff, so his brain had a tendency to go on auto-pilot. His brain would stay in the classroom and solve problems while his psyche would drift to some distant corner of the universe. This time, he was remembering his last birthday, or at least trying to. He must've been so preoccupied, he just…missed it. How do you miss your sixteenth birthday? _Let's see, probably not before I left Mickey. He knows way too much about me, so he probably would've told me if it was my birthday. While I was looking for that Roxas guy? _How fitting it would be if he'd been beaten on his birthday. Looking back, Riku did feel kind of bad about that whole incident. Maybe he'd finally grown a conscience. _Yeah, two years too late…_

Thunk…thunk…thunk. Sora banged his head on his desk in frustration. "Die…letters…" he muttered.

"Cut it out!" whispered Selphie, swatting him on the head. "I can't concentrate!"

"Since when does this class 'concentrate'?" Sora retorted.

Mrs. Flynn shot them a warning glare.

As Sora sheepishly continued working, Riku looked at him for a second. You would never guess what fierce loyalty lay beneath that happy-go-lucky exterior. He was sometimes embarrassed by how good Sora was to him, even when that kindness wasn't reciprocated. On such a large scale, however, it had intensely affected Riku, and people were starting to notice. He still shot his trademark comebacks, but they were always good-natured. He was still considered the strongest, smarted, most handsome, and therefore most popular, but his newfound streak of humility was garnering genuine attraction from more than a few. Because Sora had forgiven him. _But will she?_

No matter what happened, this always came back up. Sora, Kairi, and even the other princesses had forgiven him. Everyone he had hurt…but one. One that deserved it twice over, possibly three times, and there was nothing he could do about it. If there was anything Riku hated, it was being stuck with something, especially like this something that just wouldn't leave him alone!

"Everybody, stop talking or I'll take ten points off!" The low roar instantly died. "And, the next person I hear talking will have ten points off, no matter who you are! And I'll take off ten more if I have to!"

The brief interlude was enough to distract Riku from his previous train of thought. He devoted his whole mind to finishing and checking the rest of his work until the bell. Of course, the sound elicited many "I'm not done yet!"s and "Can I come in tomorrow?"s, but the answer was always an adamant "No!"

Riku was glad to make his escape from the classroonm. He stood up and put his homework on the teacher's desk. Suddenly a bony hand grasped his arm and spun him back around towards the desk. Mrs. Flynn gave him an expectant look._ What? Oh, right... _Riku laid the pencil on her desk. "I'm watching you," Mrs. Flynn's voice followed him as he left.

_What the heck!_

Fortunately, Sora had nothing to complain about. Since Riku had been so busy, he'd had nobody to talk to. As this probably saved his grade, he was in a particularly cheerful mood. "It's Friday, and we have no homework!" he said. "It's good luck to have your birthday on Friday, you know."

Riku cocked an eyebrow. "Where'd you hear that?"

Sora shrugged. "Well, it makes sense. You don't have to go to school tomorrow, so that's good luck! You have the whole weekend to celebrate! You're seventeen, man!"

"Wow, you're seventeen? Cool!" said a tall blond girl, throwing her arms around Riku. Tina had had a crush on Riku since day one, and she wasn't afraid to show it. "Call me this weekend, okay? See you!" she said with a wave as Riku and Sora walked outside.

"'Call me this weekend?' She's acting like she's your girlfriend or something!" Kairi took a few running steps to catch up with the boys. "Today she was bragging all about how you're getting ready to ask her out. Nobody believed her," she added at Riku's startled look.

"She's nuts," Sora confirmed. "But so are you, Riku! You have to like _someone_, right?"

Riku just shrugged. He _did_, but he didn't want to tell anyone just yet. They wouldn't understand anyway. "So, how was your day, Kairi?" he not-so-subtly changed the subject.

"Well, we got out of lit class late because Mrs. Vale was so busy arguing with Chali that she forgot to teach the lesson," Kairi said, with a questioning look in Riku's direction. "How was it for you two?"

"Well, it would have been good if Mrs. Flynn hadn't subbed last period," Sora huffed.

Kairi winced. "Yikes. I remember last year, while you guys were gone, she suspended your whole class once. It was so quiet that day."

The trio continued chatting until they reached the crest of the hill. Kairi turned to the left towards her house. "Bye, guys!" she waved as Sora and Riku turned to the right.

"See ya!" they called back.

After only about two minutes the boys arrived at their house. When Riku has appeared on the islands ten years ago nobdy really knew what to do with him. Sora was Riku's only friend at the time, so his parents had graciously allowed the older boy to live with them. In spite of their obvious differences, they were more like brothers than just best friends.

"Mo-om!" Sora called. "We're home!"

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Riku lay in his bed, looking out the window into the black night. He loved it when the nights were clear and dark, because he could see the stars much more clearly. The worlds, to be more precise. His favorite star was the brightest one, right in the center of the sky. No matter which world he was on, it was always there. He didn't even know which world it was, but for some weird reason it always comforted him to look at it.

The night had been festive, to be sure, but now that it was over Riku had time to himself to think…again. As long as he was doing something, he was fine, but…_Is this going to go on forever?_ He knew it would probably just get worse. He couldn't stop thinking about her: her slender, delicate form; her fair skin, sparkling eyes…and the way he'd slpped his hand across her mouth as he dragged her away. _Stupid…stupid…stupid._

"I'm sick of this!" Riku suddenly said to noone in particular. _I should just tell her I'm sorry and get it over with._ He dismissed the idea quickly, but…well, maybe it _was_ doable. After all, he did know where her world was…heck, he even knew his way around, a little bit. If he wanted to, he could probably find her fairly quickly. The only problem was getting there...he didn't have access to a ship. The only option was the portals, but that required immense effort. He'd even knocked himself out last time he tried. But it had worked, hadn't it?

Riku stood up decisively. He looked around his wardrobe to see if he had any proper attire. His regular clothes wouldn't cut it there, he knew. Unfortunately, all he really had were blue jeans and a not-so-vast assortment of shirts and vests. He eyed them for a second, then acquiesced. They would have to do. He slipped on the jeans and pulled a black sleeveless shirt over his head. Who knew, maybe he'd set a new trend there. Not likely.

He thought of Sora, sleeping in the next room. He briefly debated whether or not to tell him, but then decided against it. He preferred to keep this to himself; the fewer people knew about it, the better. Plus, he wouldn't even be gone long enough for Sora to worry. He'd be back in less than a day. No problem.

Riku closed his eyes and summoned the darkness that he now controlled. He ignored the familiar whispers urging him to go after more power, and instead intensified what little he still had. His head began to throb, but he pushed harder. _Just a little more…focus…_

He was aware of the familiar sensation the "between" brought, and of leaving it, arriving. It was the last thing he remembered before the mental strain got to him and he dropped to the ground, unconscious.

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I had a lot more for this chapter but I just didn't feel like writing it and since I'm not really going to get a chance to work on it for two more weeks I decided to just cut some stuff for this and put it in later when I'm not feeling sooo lazy!

Wow. That was a semi-long sentence.

Sorry it took me so long to update, but thanks to you and your reviews it inspired me to keep going, if not for me for you guys! Aww.

I just randomly had to add a tribute to my eighth-grade science teacher, Mrs Flynn (that's not her real name, but if I used it she would hunt me down and kill me. She knows everything...) Imagine having her not just as a sub, but for the WHOLE YEAR! It was actually the only year she taught, our class scared her off. And yes, she did suspendour whole grade, all fifty of us (small school), for aday. It was worth it though. :)

And yes, I know that Sora and Riku probably did not live together. BUT as they do not mention anything about anyone's parents I put it in there. So nyah.

I am also aware that Riku was probably an islander from birth. BUT as we do not see any other silver-haired people on this island I decided otherwise. I have another reason as well, hehehe…

Well, pray for me and wish me luck on the INSANELY LOOOOONG bus ride to Missouri!


	4. Ch2: From Darkness

Hooray

Hooray! Camp Barnabas was an awesomely awesome time of awesomeness! Thanks for your prayers and everything!! Garbajio made the bus ride MUCH easier…PM me if you wish to know about it. Anyway, I've had no time to think, so yay long waits and short chapters. sigh The beginning is really boring, I know, and I'm having some trouble writing it. Please cut me some slack! It'll get better…

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_**Chapter 2: From Darkness**_

"Your Highness! It is an honor to meet you!" The young noble knelt and kissed the hand presented to him.

Naki offered a believably cordial smile. Living in the castle as the Prince's fiancé had given her many opportunities to practice the art of false grace, and she was now a seasoned pro. "Don't forget, Lord Rowan, I have yet to be wed to his Royal Highness. You should know that; you are here for the ceremony, are you not?"

"Ahh, but it is so near! Surely you must think of yourself as the Princess, with only a week remaining?"

_Not if I can help it._ "One never knows. It may be delayed yet again." _Please…_

Lord Rowan nodded knowingly. "Yes, I see. It must have been an agonizing wait for you! It's been nearly a year now, has it not?"

"Yes," said the Prince. "But all that is behind us now, isn't it, my dear? Our troubles will soon be over, as soon as you are mine, to cherish forever."

The young Princess-to-be barely checked her infamous death glare. _That's going to be when they _start,_ you self-absorbed creep. I'll never be yours, you can bet on that. _

"But still! The wait and tension must have been nigh unbearable! Especially your ordeal, my lady. It must have been terrifying."

"Yes," was Naki's curt reply. "Terrifying…" Her mind began to shut out the rest of the conversation as it began to drift back to that day at the ball. She had been just outside the ballroom when a hand had been slapped over her mouth. She still didn't know what kind of drug had been in that cloth, but it had knocked her unconscious almost instantly, without even a moment to glimpse her kidnapper's face.

She had awoken with a pounding headache in a dark room. She hadn't trusted herself to open her eyes, so she only detected a sinister-sounding female voice saying she wasn't who they were looking for, and a young man (assumed to be her captor) saying she should fulfill her end of the bargain. That was all she heard before she'd fallen unconscious again. When she awoke again…_Did that guy kidnap Riku, too? What were those black things? And…what did they do to him…?_

"My lady? You look a bit pale. Are you feeling well?"

The genuinely concerned voice snapped her back to reality. She wasn't in that chamber watching her childhood friend disappear. She was almost a Princess now, at a special banquet, in the middle of a conversation with the guest of honor, Lord Rowan. Now Kade was asking her if she was well, and she needed to answer.

"Yes, Kade, I am quite alright," Naki replied. "I simply let my thoughts slip for a moment. I apologize, Lord Rowan."

"Oh, no, my lady! The fault is mine for bringing up such an awful subject. And at dinner, of all things! Can we not change the topic to something more…suitable?"

And thus started yet another meaningless exchange about politics. Kade had once warned Naki that it was considered improper for women to make comments concerning such topics, so no matter what air-headed comment the Prince made (for there were many), Naki was required to simply smile and nod in agreement. _Am I really going to have to do this for the rest of my life?_

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"I feel you should know I sensed something in your attitude during that dinner."

Naki whirled around to face the Prince's adviser, Takhiro. She was already dressed for bed, and her servants had left her alone. And alone with Takhiro was never good. "What do you mean by that?" she asked, with a hot edge to her voice. Still, she instinctively backed a bit closer to the wall at the menacing glare in his eyes.

"I mean that you aren't giving the Prince the respect he deserves!" He suddenly grabbed her arm, shoved her violently against the wall, and threw her to the ground. "You're going to be Princess, and being a Princess means doing what you're told. You would do well to remember that." He bent to her level and lifted her face to meet his. He noted with satisfaction that all of the fire had left her eyes before he left the room, locking the door behind him. Naki lay in a heap on the ground for nearly half an hour, struggling to hold back the sobs. She hated it when he made her cry.

Finally, she rubbed her blackened wrist as she slowly stood and made her way to the bed. _I…can't do this. I just can't. Nothing is worth this. Not even…not even…life itself…?_

She had always prided herself on being tough, on not needing anything. She would, of course, help those who asked for it, but she was always better because she never had to ask. Now, she was so low that nobody could help her at this point. She was the only one who could help her. If she wanted the pain to end, she'd have to end it herself. _Right?_

She'd considered such an extreme before, but the thought scared her. Once she made the choice and acted on it, there was no way to reverse it. Even if she changed her mind at the last second, it would be too late. But now, there would be no reason to change her mind, would there? The more she thought about it, the more sense it made, every time. But her fear had always stopped her, before. It was always the same old arguments, back and forth, all the time. Sure enough, history repeated itself as they all tumbled through her head once again.

Finally, the broken girl stood again and looked at herself in the mirror. The few stray tears that had fallen had cut through the makeup and revealed the blackish blue on her left cheek. The swelling had only been concealed by the dim lighting in the places she'd been in the past few days. _No…I can't take this anymore…_ It would serve Takhiro and that stupid Prince right if his bride killed herself a week before the wedding. If she wasn't good enough, then they would just have to find themselves a better one, now, wouldn't they?

She turned to the door and realized it was still locked. Fortunately, Takhiro didn't realize she'd had a spare key made behind his back for that very purpose. She unlocked the door and slipped into the corridor, though she was still only in her nightgown, and made sure to relock it before heading down the hallway.

It was around midnight now, so the castle was nearly empty. She could easily slip out of any of the hidden side exits, as they were not guarded. Naki chose the one on the west side, as it was the closest to where she wanted to go. She breathed the chilled night air deeply. It was a beautiful night; the moon was nearly full. _It is kind of a pity…_ She quickly shook off any doubts. If she was planning to do this, she needed to be 100 percent resolute.

Finally, as she walked along the path, she found what she was looking for. In the wall, there was a nearly unobservable niche. Kade had managed to give her a dagger to defend herself after the whole kidnapping incident, but she had no idea how to use it. Plus, she knew if Takhiro found it in her room, things would not end well. She had taken special note of this spot, so if she ever needed it she could find it. It was ironic that it was so close to that ballroom balcony. _Who knew I'd be using it for this?_

The young princess drew the small weapon slowly. She knew she shouldn't drag it out, but she just couldn't bring herself to plunge it into herself. Instead, she looked at it, gleaming in the moonlight, polished silver that had never been used. She glanced up into the sky, and that single brightest star caught her eye. Always fixed, the only constant in her life other than the continuous pain, physical, mental, and emotional. Then, it almost seemed to speak to her.

_Yeah, you big tough girl, you're gonna take the easy way out now?_

_No…it's not like that._

_It's exactly like that. You do this, you give up. You lose. You're not a loser, are you?_

She glanced back at the dagger.

_Come on. You've been doing things the hard way for so long. Give yourself a break._

_But…_

_It's not a loss for anyone but them. They don't get you, and that's what you want, right? _

She looked back up.

_Don't let them win! They'll just do the same thing to the next girl. Who knows, maybe they want you to kill yourself?_

_I don't want to let Takhiro win…_

_Exactly! Stand up and fight for yourself!_

_But, that'll hurt…_

_It'll hurt a lot more if you let them keep beating on you._

The dagger caught her eye.

_And it'll hurt a lot less if you just get over yourself and do it already!_

Naki couldn't take any more of the battle. _Just give me a reason…a reason why I should live…_Her hand opened and flew to her face as the dagger clattered to the ground. She fell to her knees, sobbing. _Why? Why? Why…?_ There, on the cold stone next to the palace, Naki cried until the late hour and emotional exhaustion finally caught up with her, and she fell into a deep sleep.

_Agh, forgot about the headache. Man, this sucks…_

Riku massaged his temples as he tried to sit up and figure out just where the heck he was. Normally, he could see quite well on a night like this, but the pounding, dark-portal-traveling-induced mini-migraine was even screwing with his vision. He tried to ignore the pain to some degree and call up what he could remember of this place.

_I spent most of my time trying to figure out how to get into that stupid palace…_There was a gate on each side of the wall surrounding the courtyard just outside the palace, but those had been guarded, sooo…_Yeah, when you get far enough down the wall, they can't see you. Dang, which wall did I climb? It wasn't as smooth as the rest, so it was easier…_

His head was already starting to clear. The headache was intense, but brief. He stood, and suddenly realized where he was. _This is the same spot I came in last time!_ _This won't be too hard. _Suddenly, he frowned. _Well, at least getting in'll won't be too hard._ Riku had to admit, he had no idea what he was going to say to the princess, or even how to find her. At least it was night; he was always sharper in the darkness. And if worst came to worst, he could put up a dark shield and run like an idiot.

He shook his head to rid himself of the last vestiges of the headache, then started forward. He was already on the west side, so he really just had to go forward to reach the wall, which he did. He looked left, right, and left again to make sure nobody was coming. He gripped the stones that jutted out as handholds, and started up. It never failed to amaze him how comparatively short the walls were.

Finally, Riku pulled himself up and looked over the wall. There was nobody there, either. He shook his head. _It's a _really _good thing these guys don't have any neighboring kingdoms to attack them…_

After checking one last time, Riku dropped almost noiselessly down on the other side of the palace wall. _Now, where to look…_ He'd known where the princess' room was during his last visit (as his original plan was to kidnap her from there), so he figured that was as good a place to start as any. He began to run silently along the passage between the palace and the wall, keeping to the shadows whenever possible.

_Okay, the main entrance is up ahead. Even as bad as security is here, that probably won't do. There's gotta be some side entrances or…wait, what?_

Riku stopped for a second. _I could've sworn…_ He turned around and stared in surprise. Sure enough, there was the princess. He ran forward to see the girl on the ground. "What are you doing out here?" he asked. She didn't respond. "Nikki?" he tried again, shaking her. Still no answer.

He decided not to try any more outside. It wasn't good for her to be out here anyway, he assumed, so he would just take her back into the castle, pretending to be a servant or something if anyone asked. Once they were in her room he could talk to her. He'd had his doubts before, but they had all vanished when he saw her lying there. _She deserves so much more than this._

He reached down and lifted her gently. For a moment, he paused to look at her face. She had grown even more beautiful since the last time he'd seen her. It still stunned him how much she'd grown in ten years. No, not even ten…eight or nine…_Seems like forever…_

His reverie was shattered at the alarmingly loud sound of metal clanging to a hard stone floor. He looked around tensely, but nobody came. The security here never ceased to amaze him. When he was sure no one was there, he bent over to see the object that had been entangled in her gown. _What's Nikki doing with a weapon like this?_ He wondered as he picked the offending dagger up and slipped it in his belt, making sure he didn't drop Naki.

Riku's doubts had vanished when he saw the princess, but now they were beginning to creep back. He shook his head at nobody in particular. He couldn't just back out now…With a deep sigh of resolution he turned and began to make his way towards the entrance to the palace.

Before he could take another step, though, a cold voice stopped Riku in his tracks.

"And just what do you think you're doing, kid?"

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Okay, you don't like the INSANELY long update? Blame my teachers. I have come to the conclusion that high school eats up waay too much of everyone's time and keeps us away from more important things. This chapter was supposed to be longer but I felt I had to just get this up. I know it's a long wait for a short chapter but I don't want everyone to forget everything! I'm really sorry, I'll do the best I can for the next chapter. sigh

Also, it got a bit darker than I intended. That's what happens when you listen to depressing music while you're trying to write. And it did get a little oversimplified and cheesy near the end because I got to the point where I just got sick of this chapter so I wanted to finish it and get it up for you guys. Honestly, reviews really do make a huge difference. Once I get a chapter up and people start reviewing, it's enough to get me really into the story again and keep working on it again, so please do so! I know my inspiration will come back once you guys respond. I don't know, I just didn't have a whole lot of inspiration (or good quality time to meditate) for this chapter. _Watashi wa baka desu…_


	5. Ch3: A Reason to Live

Thanks to everyone who reviewed! Really! Good lord, this has been a LONG update. I'm so, so sorry!! I really hope you like this chapter. I just haven't had a lot of interest in this story lately. Plus, I am SO nit-picky. I have such ridiculously high standards for writing. Fortunately, I have come to accept to some degree I will not meet these unless I practice and fail first, so that means more writing (possibly). I have some new ideas as to where it might be going, however, due to a lot of good new experiences and reading.

Sorry if this chapter is a little confusing...I promise it'll start to make some sense next chapter. :)

_**Chapter 3: The Reason Why**_

Riku stiffened as the voice came from behind. "Just what do you think you're doing, kid?"

_Craaap…_Riku thought as he turned around.

"I asked you a question," came the unforgiving, and now impatient, voice again.

He'd been in situations like this before and had never failed to come up with a convincing excuse. Unfortunately, there was a first for everything. "…What?"

Kade's eyes narrowed. He had come to think of the young princess almost as a younger sister, and his protective instincts were flipping out as they had only once before. And, he couldn't shake the feeling that this wasn't the first time they'd met.

Riku had recognized Kade, too, only he had a specific event to associate with the face. He remembered how, when he first came here to abduct the young princess-to-be, this guy had chased him down and fought him briefly. That was the first time he'd created a portal on his own, and had he not pulled it off…who knows what would have happened…?

Yeah, it would have been ridiculously easy work kidnapping Naki were it not for the dark-haired stranger facing him. He had forgotten him until this very minute, which now struck him as a crucial error. The last thing he wanted was to fight this one again, for Naki's sake…and his own. He made another attempt at talking his way out of it, a bit better than his last.

"…Am I doing something wrong?" he asked innocently. Best to play dumb.

"Other than touching the princess without express permission from His Majesty?"

"Oh! Is that…? Oh, wow. I didn't know. I'm sorry, I'm really sorry. I'm new here, and I haven't learned all the rules yet, and I…oh, geez, please don't tell…!" Riku had no idea what any of the policies were here, but he hoped that this guy would buy his act and just think he was just a confused newbie servant.

Kade studied Riku for several long seconds. He knew the kid wasn't telling the whole truth, but his eyes didn't reveal malice or treachery either. He didn't seem to mean her any harm…All the same, he didn't trust him. He had definitely seen this guy before, and Kade was the last one to allow anyone untrustworthy into the palace. He was ready to continue interrogating when a soft moan interrupted him.

"Mmmm…" The princess (-to-be)'s eyes fluttered open. Someone was carrying her…she heard Kade's voice...looked over to see him. He seemed tense about something…wait. If he was over there, then who was…

That was when she made the mistake of looking up.

When their eyes met, it was harder to tell who was more shocked. Though still veiled with sleep, Naki's eyes were bluer than Riku had ever remembered. They still betrayed the presence of secrets awaiting revelation to those she deemed worthy, even though at the moment they looked a bit confused. She seemed to be probing his mind, silently looking for answers. He'd seen her eyes plenty of times before, but never had he felt like this. For a second his mind went completely blank.

And a second was all Kade needed. He swiftly stepped in and lifted her from Riku's arms, setting her feet gently (and a bit unsteadily) on the ground. "My lady, please come inside. It is not safe out here" (pointed glare Riku's way) "and it would not do for you to be discovered missing in the morning."

Naki nodded mutely, never taking her eyes off of the pale-haired one before her.

"And you," Kade said, shifting his attention to Riku, "you would be wise to remember that I, as the Princess' bodyguard, am the only man besides the royals who may lay hands on the Princess. Come, Your Highness."

They walked away, but Naki couldn't stop looking over her shoulder at him. Riku still didn't know quite what to do. It was only after she disappeared that his mind decided to return from its little vacation.

_Well, _that _sure went well,_ he thought sarcastically.

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There was nothing in earth, heaven, or hell that could erase that color from her memory. The color she had always called beautiful, lit by the teasing glint that had frustrated her early attempts to understand exactly what it was that lay beneath. Blue, green, a blend of the two, an ocean, a lagoon. It was uniquely his color, faded over time, now shocked back into clarity.

That first vision upon waking filled her mind's eyes until she was in her room, breaking free of the fantastic reverie. Her thoughts spun in a maelstrom of fragmented ideas vying for dominion over her mind, usurping each other as well as any resemblance of sense. The only response her heart could give was a swelling ache, rising and eventually bursting forth in a spasm of inexplicable tears.

_Why? Why now?_

_Why not?_

_He was dead twice, and now…_

_He's here._

_Why?_

_Why not ask?_

…_He looked at me funny. Maybe he's mad._

_Because that makes perfect sense. He came all the way out here to be mad at you._

_Why shouldn't he be mad?_

_Why shouldn't he love you?_

_I'm a wreck!_

_Only if you let yourself be!_

_They made me this way!_

_You made yourself this way with their help._

…_What if it's not even him?_

_You wouldn't forget him._

_Maybe I'm nuts. Maybe I'm seeing things. I'm losing my mind. I'm going to die._

_You're too young to die!_

_I have nothing to live for! _

_What about someone?_

_I don't…Why…?_

Naki groaned.

_What do I do now…?_

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_I'm so close…_Riku thought. _But with that guy watching her, how am I going to get to see her?_ He still remembered where the Princess' room was..._I guess its back to plan A then._ He mused, looking up.

He had originally planned to enter through a small side door that the servants went through. There were actually quite a few of them, though they were well-hidden. After all, nobody wanted the main entrances through which the nobles paraded to be clogged with worthless servants about their menial tasks. These inconspicuous entrances were exactly what he needed. He jogged down alongside until he saw…there!

At various places, an ornament bearing the hawk crest of the royal family had been put on the wall, but only a few of them actually marked a door. The only way to tell was trial-and-error unless you really _were_a servant there...or in Riku's case, watched the servants closely to plan an abduction. Glancing both ways to make sure it was clear, he quickly slipped through. _Now, then…_ Riku closed his eyes, trying to recall from…was it only two years ago?...the castle layout he had studied for the abduction of this particular princess.

Maleficent had warned him that this girl was different from Alice, Jasmine, and the others. "You cannot simply barge in like some raging fool and expect to kidnap her successfully. While most soldiers there are extraordinarily lax, there are some there more than capable of defending her. You must adopt a more surreptitious approach. There will be a royal ball there, and you must use that time, in the guise of a servant, to observe the castle. Then, once she is officially named the Princess, you will use the knowledge you obtained then to capture her."

She had called him a "most intelligent young man" and had allowed him to decide exactly how he would go about it. Problem was, Riku never really needed to figure anything out because the opportunity was dropped squarely in his lap. It was a good thing then, but it was quite troublesome now. He'd been so cocky that he'd allowed the information to drift from his mind. At any rate, he still remembered the most of the important stuff.

Riku carefully slid the wall shut behind him. _Hey, I know where this is!_ He breathed a sigh of relief. He could easily make it to the Princess' room without being seen at all, and, considering the average IQ of this world, he would have no problem bluffing his way out of any trouble he encountered, as long as it wasn't an overprotective man with dark hair.

With that in mind, he strode down the corridor with confidence until he reached the back staircase. He quickly ascended until he reached the carpeted corridor of the top level where the royals resided. Four "elite guards" marched pompously up and down the hall adjoining, but never cast a glance down the actual royal hallway. Riku's stealth in shadows created from the vestiges of his power was wasted on them.

He faced the door. Her door…unless they had moved the official "royal fiancé" room. Doubtful. _Focus._ What should he do? Knock? Talk to her through the door? Send a letter under? It couldn't be loud enough to attract attention…

His question was answered unexpectedly when the door flew open.

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For the second time that night, Naki (now wearing a robe) and Riku stared at each other awkwardly. Naki was the first to speak. "Um…do you want something?" _WHAT?! The first time you see him (if it is him at all) in almost ten years and you ask "Do you want something?" ARE YOU INSANE!? _"I…um…you should probably come inside before Kade comes back. He might kill you or something, he's like a mother bear when it comes to me." …_I'm not even going to ask where that came from…_

"…Okay," said Riku as he walked through the door. The room he had been invited into was not a bedroom, but more like a sitting room, complete with couple of chairs, a table, and a sofa. "Hey, Naki. I…guess it's been a while," he said hesitantly. He was still standing as close to the entrance as was possible.

"Yeah…" she replied. "Oh, you should probably, uh, close the door…"

"Oh, right," he said, turning around. When he faced her again, he looked like he wanted to say something, but changed his mind. Again the awkward silence fell over the two.

"You can sit down if you want," she said.

He took a slow step forward, but after conquering that initial obstacle the rest of his steps were more natural as he sank into the soft blue armchair. It didn't exactly fit the "proper," natural-colored, and extremely stiff décor of the room, but Naki had been able to get one bit of furniture that she could enjoy for comfort instead of fashion. Whenever she had had a particularly trying day, she could always come to her room and fall into that soothingly squashy chair, exhausted. Exhausted, as Riku looked right now.

But it couldn't be avoided forever.

Naki took a deep breath, sitting. "Why..."

"I'm sorry." He cut her off.

The quick reply caught her completely off guard before the content registered in her mind. "For what?"

"For…what?"

"What…why would you be sorry?"

Riku sighed and an unusually dark look came over his face. "For…oh, man, where do I even start?" He laughed wryly.

"I'm not mad at you," Naki said. She had an idea of what could be bothering him, but "That was a long time ago." It was the only possible thing she could think of. Why in the world would he come out here? To apologize? For that?

Riku blinked. That was not the answer he was expecting.

"Did you come out here just to apologize?" she asked.

"…Well, I came to apologize, but…I guess I did want to see you, too." The air was rife with tension and awkwardness, but the atmosphere shattered when Naki suddenly stood and lost control over her tongue.

"I thought you were dead! Riku" (the word tasted funny, but not in a bad way) "I've missed you! I'm so glad you're here! I am!" Her eyes began to water again. "Don't leave! Please! I…"

Everything that had happened that night was spinning in an all-new tornado of emotion and confusion. Her words trailed off as all of a sudden her head felt like it was swelling and her legs felt like jelly. A black cloud seemed to pass in front of her eyes. _Huh…I'm fainting..._

(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((())))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

"Naki!"

Her head was throbbing, and her mind was still reeling. _This has been such a weird dream. First, I wanted to kill myself, then _Riku _of all people was holding me, then he came in my room. There must have been something in that fish…_ She opened her not-quite-focusing eyes. _Oh, look. He's still there. He's holding me again. Hallucinations. I _am_ insane now. Officially._

"Naki, talk to me!"

_He said my name. That's nice._

"What happened?"

"I don't know." _I'm talking to a figment of my imagination. _"Go away."

For the second time that night, Riku blinked in surprise. "…What?"

"Go away. You're not real."

"I'm right here!" Riku did not find this funny.

"No, he died a while back." Naki's words ran together, suggesting she wasn't entirely lucid.

Suddenly Riku knew why he was here. Something had happened to her. He was beginning to sense something going on the castle, something dark. Not dark, exactly. But menacing just the same. Whatever it was, it had wounded his friend. She needed him. He gathered her up in his arms and held her close. The feeling of shyness he had had before evaporated in the new resolve.

Meanwhile, Naki was still trying to figure out where reality ended and dream began.

_Dreams don't make you feel this warm, do they?_

(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((())))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

Wow, Naki went a little weird there...eep. Stress makes people crazy!

Thank you again to people who read this! I haven't forgotten you guys. Again, sorry for the long update. I think the next one should come faster; I have a much more solid idea about what to write there. Mild fluff/sweetness is coming next chapter, as well as an explanation for Riku and Naki's rather odd conversation. :P Reviews spur me on to work! /shameless plug :) In all seriousness, constructive criticism is GREATLY welcomed; I really want to be a better writer. As it is, it's funny because I can recognize the different parts I wrote at different times because my style has been changing so much. Ugh, it's 3 in the morning. I'm going to bed.


	6. Ch4: Reunion

Ok, well, I wrote this one a bit faster, mainly due to being abandoned in a hotel for the past few days. Hopefully it won't be like the last one, which was rather weak. But I knew that before I posted it, so, before I start bashing myself here's the next chapter. :) Much thanks to Excel for wonderful beta work on this chapter and helping out a newb teenage author! (hugs)

_**Chapter 4: Reunion**_

Memories were tumbling through her head like a torrent of water released from a broken dam, temporarily disorienting her entirely. She was there again…

…_The man was smiling at the dumbfounded people around him. He had only arrived in their town yesterday, but he had already healed four with just a touch and a word. Ms. Sate, his newest patient (if that was the word), was staring at her arm, rolling up her sleeve to check her shoulder. The painful burns that had covered her upper body since the house fire were replaced by the golden-brown color of the rest of her skin. Her face broke into an ecstatic grin. She was crying and saying something, but she couldn't discern it among the low roar rising up from the rest of the crowd. _

_Naki strained to see his face. It was obscured by an ill-placed shadow, but his black eyes suddenly caught her in their gaze. A chill seized her body for a moment before Riku grabbed her arm. "Naki, what's wrong?"_

_She smiled weakly. "I'm fine…" She had woken this morning with a pain in the pit of her stomach, and it was making her dizzy…_

…_The memory was still causing her to tremble three days later, and the stabbing in her abdomen had kept her from school that day. "Naki, I think you're really sick," Riku said with concern. He had come to see her despite the protests of his parents that she might be contagious. "You should see a doctor."_

"_I don't think a doctor will help," Naki said quietly. "It's that man…he's bad."_

"_What?" Riku couldn't believe her. "But he's helped so many people. How can he be bad?"_

"_I don't know why, but I think he's watching me," Naki whispered, voice shaking again. "He's evil. Please believe me, Riku, you're the only one who will."_

_He still looked a little skeptical, but he nodded. "Okay," he said. "And don't worry. I won't let him hurt you. I won't let anything bad happen to you. I promise."_

_I promise._

_I promise…_

…"_No, no, I'll be okay, don't take me to him, don't…" Naki protested feebly. _

"_Shh," her mother reprimanded gently as she carried her daughter through the crowd. "Don't worry, he's healed everyone who has come to him so far."_

"_I'll get better!"_

"_Dear, I've heard stories from all around, now. He's a little mysterious, but he means well. He won't hurt you."_

"_Yes he will!"_

"_Naki!" Her mother was stern. "You are being childish. You are eight years old; you should know better."_

_His eyes lighted on her as they reached the front. Naki felt as if a serpent was winding around her neck, choking her. When he touched her, she screamed. "Strange illness…take her…" His voice faded in and out of hearing. "…dark origin…normal…insufficient…"_

_She clenched her teeth against it, still breathing heavily as he took her from her mother. "Let go of me…" she whispered._

"_You can't do anything about it, can you, you stupid creature…" he hissed. Naki began to flail wildly. She had been right._

"_Don't take her anywhere!" Riku yelled from the crowd. He had jostled his way to the front, and she could see through blurry vision that he was being held back from advancing further._

_The man refused to lose his composure as disquiet spread through his audience. "This child is beginning to suffer as well, probably from exposure to her. It's best to let the boy rest…"_

"_Shut up!" Riku bellowed as an agile twist broke him free and he ran unhindered towards the two of them._

_Darkness began to cloud her vision, a cold mist numbing her entire body, painless…_

"Naki!_" The cry was far away, but still she tried vainly to reach it…_

…_She thought she felt a warm butterfly's touch on her outstretched fingertips before the world spun away…_

_Where are you now? That was in the past. Was it? Focus, focus. Find reality. Riku. Riku was there, and…_

…_Focus. Pull it together…_

As the fog clouding Naki's overtaxed mind finally began dissipating in Riku's embrace, awkwardness set in to replace it. Her face was fortunately hidden in his shoulder as it flushed bright red. She was embarrassed for feeling so confused, so comfortable, so hated, so loved when everything she'd said had been pointless and stupid and incoherent. She tried to twist out of his arms without actually pushing him away. She needed to get away from him, but she wasn't sure why.

"Do you think I'm crazy?" she asked, once he had let go. She stood from where they had been on the floor and turned to face the wall.

"…Just a little," Riku said tentatively.

"I'm sorry. I think I've been progressively losing my mind for a while now."

"I can tell," he said. "Sorry about…well, I guess I'm not supposed to touch you, after all…"

"Oh, shut up, that's not it at all," she snapped, turning around. She closed her eyes and sighed. "All right then, let's just talk. I think both of us need to know what's going on, correct?"

Riku was taken aback at the sudden change. "All right," he said, standing, face impassive.

"Why _are _you here?"

"I came to see you." For some reason, "to apologize" sounded like a pretty weak response. He could get to that later.

"For no reason?"

"…Yeah." It didn't feel like a lie.

"Oh." _How? Why? When did you decide this? How long have you known where I am? If you knew for a long time, why didn't you come earlier? _There was only one question she really needed an answer for, though. "How are you alive? …If you were the one at that castle at all."

"Hollow Bastion?"

"If that's what it's called."

Riku didn't even know the answer to that one. "Mmm, well, somehow I ended up in Kingdom Hearts, and we closed the door. I was called out of the darkness by Sora, and there was a voice..." He stopped. "I don't really know," he finally admitted.

A little smile came across Naki's face. "Well, at least I'm not the only one who's crazy."

"What about you?" he asked. "What happened to you?"

Naki closed her eyes and let a deep breath in, out. "I suppose I should start after we were separated… I came to on a street here, with no sight of that man anywhere. I spent some time as an orphan, but I was eventually taken in by a family with had a penchant for climbing the social ladder and not as well-to-do as they let on. They believed I was beautiful, and I was their jewel, so to speak. They had dreams of marrying me into a higher station and here I am—" she put her palms up "—engaged to a prince." She smiled wryly, mirthlessly.

"Unfortunately, soon after my engagement I was kidnapped to that castle…bastion…whatever it was you called it. I still have little idea why I was there at all. I heard some weird mutterings about 'Princesses of Heart' or somesuch…"

"'Somesuch'?" Riku couldn't help a smile.

"It means 'or things like that'."

"I know. It's just a funny word. You've been talking kind of funny this whole time, as a matter of…"

"Just shut up and let me talk!" she said with a glare that was more teasing than anything. It was the most spark she'd shown during the entire monologue. She was still confused, but considerably more comfortable now. Not even because it was her childhood friend, necessarily; just because he was someone who didn't hate her. "Is that better? In any case, living around these people can do wonders for your diction, for better or worse. Anyway, apparently I was supposed to be the last 'Princess of Heart' for…well, whatever scheme the people who took me there were planning, but apparently that wasn't the case at all. There are only supposed to be seven, and I was replaced by another. She wasn't even a princess, really, just a girl 'with a pure heart.'

"Anyway, I got out and tried to find out where all of this commotion was coming from and I came to that room with all of those black creatures. Soon after I met the other princesses and one boy with the strangest hair I've ever seen. It was…well, rather like a hedgehog had decided to live inside his head, with spikes sticking out every which way.Apparently, he was the one who rescued us…"

Riku had been listening with interest until the full force of what she was saying struck him. _She didn't know._ He had come here with this strange expectation that she would know he had kidnapped her. That she would be angry with him for taking her away to a place where they almost took her heart. That maybe he could right things between them. But she didn't know it was him. To her, the only thing between them was the awkwardness of not having seen each other for quite some time. And all of a sudden, he didn't want her to know. She was happy not knowing – oblivious – he should leave her that way, right? Plus, it would be too much of a bother for her to share about his time in the darkness…

Rationalization was so handy.

"…at Hollow Bastion, Riku?"

His focus snapped back from the world of his thoughts. "Hmm?"

"What were you doing there?"

"I was…well, actually, Sora and Kairi are my friends."

Naki's face scrunched up in bewilderment. "Are you trying to change the subject?"

"No! Sora is the boy with spiky hair, and Kairi was the last Princess of Heart."

"Oh, I see. It's a small world…universe, isn't it?" she said with a chuckle. A softer, more pleasant expression was coming over her face. In the moonlight, it almost looked as if a gentle glow surrounded her, reflected in her eyes like stars that twinkled with a newfound life. "Riku…thank you."

She stepped toward him and, tentatively at first, put her arms around his torso. When he returned the embrace, the last vestiges of tension and awkwardness evaporated completely in the warmth. She tightened her hold and stood in silence, breathing in the earthy, invigorating scent that was Riku.

"Take me with you," she whispered abruptly, breaking the silence. "I hate this place. Get me out of here…please…"

He drew back from her in surprise, arms still resting on her shoulders. "What?"

Naki's featured were illuminated, still, but the angelic, mystical radiance had been replaced with a harsher light, betraying a wild blaze of emotion flaring up as it hadn't in years. "Let's just go. Now. How did you get here? We can leave tonight!"

The urgency in her voice was a little jarring. In the light, Riku suddenly noticed the bruise on her face, as if to drive her point home. "Actually…" Ugh. How _was _he going to get back? That last portal for only him had knocked him out cold. He didn't have much power left. Trying to bring another through along with him…What was he _thinking_? He couldn't just drag Naki through a portal of darkness! But what _would_ he tell her? "…I…came on a ship," he said slowly, "but…it's wrecked now." A wrecked ship would allow time for finding a new way to get off. As a matter of fact, he couldn't even remember if this strange place even _had_ those here.

"How exactly does a ship travel from one world to another?" Naki asked in confusion.

"No, I mean a spaceship."

"You mean…a ship that travels between worlds?" The incredulity in Naki's face and voice confirmed that there was little chance of one existing here. Her eyes dropped in disappointment, and a small sigh escaped her lips. "There's little chance of finding someone to fix something like that here."

Riku sighed. "There's got to be a way out of here. We'll figure it out, Naki."

"I'm getting married in_ one week_!" she cried.

"Okay, okay," Riku assured her. Now he _had_ to know what was making Naki behave so strangely. This was not the time to press the issue, but he did intend to stay relatively close to her. He wasn't going to let anything happen to her – for real this time. And, if worst came to worst, he probably could use a portal, though it would be a risky last resort at best. In the meantime… "I guess I should start looking for a way, then…"

"You're not leaving, are you?" Naki asked in alarm. "Don't go!"

"Well, if we're going to get off of here, we have to…"

"I know what I said," Naki interrupted again. "I'm sorry, but I want to feel like you're close by." Her lips pursed thoughtfully. "Mmm…you told Kade you were a servant, didn't you? So you can stay here in the castle! It might be a bit strange for you, but… Oh! If you stay in the castle, you'll be closer to Takhiro! He is the one who is really in charge of everything here; if there's a way to leave this world available here, he would have the information." Her voice picking up tempo and rising with energy. "So, if you were a servant you would have more access to places, and you would be nearby! Don't you see? This is _perfect_!"

Riku was a bit taken aback at the idea of working in a medieval setting, even if it was only for a week. Frankly, this was just getting _weird. _"Uh…"

"Please?" Her enthusiasm was hanging on his answer.

"Well…how would we do this, anyway? I only said that so that guy would leave me alone. I'm wearing the wrong clothes! I don't know _any_ of the rules here! My hair is _silver _for crying out loud."

Naki eyed his clothing. "We can worry about that tomorrow. 'That guy' you were referring to is Kade, my guard and probably the most influential servant in the castle. He also has the most sense of anyone you're likely to meet here, even though he tends to be overprotective at times. He'll listen to me. If I tell him he can trust you, you have nothing to worry about. He can get you everything you need."

He sighed. "Okay."

She smiled back up at him. "Thank you. I'm sorry for dragging you into…" She was cut off by a yawn that she quickly covered with her hand. "Excuse me."

He laughed. "I'm starting to feel that way myself. What do you want to do now? It's early morning, and you need to get some sleep."

"Yes, I know," she replied. "As for you, you could sleep with me so…"

"Hold on," Riku cut her off. "_What?_"

"I only mean for you to stay with me," she clarified. "It's probably the safest place for you until you're situated. I can hide you easily there since everything is so fluffy."

"This is insane. Naki, I know we were friends, and we still are, but honestly, I don't really know you all that well. It's been nine…nearly ten years since I last saw you."

"Then please, give me a better suggestion."

He didn't know the place as well as she did, so he had to assume she was probably right. He needed to be somewhere he could wake up and hide quickly if someone was coming. A fluffy comforter probably could conceal him quite effectively. Yet that didn't change the fact that it was beyond awkward.

His silence was the only answer Naki needed. "Come on, Riku, it really shouldn't be too uncomfortable." She opened the door to the inner chamber. The entire chamber was huge, so the monstrous, crimson bed (complete with curtains) fit wonderfully. "It's so big you could get lost in it," she said, smiling. "You probably won't even know I'm there."

"This is quite a room," Riku said, impressed. "I think I can hear an echo."

"It's too big for one person," she retorted. "Come on."

She walked over to the table beside the bed and blew out the stub of a candle, though the room was still lit with moonlight. He hesitantly followed her. He kicked off his shoes and both got in on opposite sides. Riku sank into the feathery mattress and began to relax. If he were used to sleeping in his clothes, it would probably have been the most comfortable he'd ever been. She was right; it didn't feel like anyone else was there at all.

Naki stood and pulled the curtains shut, enveloping them in complete darkness. She lay back down again and whispered, "Good night, Riku."

"'Night."

As Riku dozed off, he could have sworn he felt a light butterfly's kiss on his fingertips.

#

(A/N) Yeah, I refuse to use the term "gummi ship" in this story. I feel so dirty every time I say or write it. It's like a big commercial slapped in the middle of Kingdom Hearts and it makes me so MAD. It's this really weird, obsessive, horrible pet peeve of mine. I actually am trying to keep them out of this story for the most part altogether. Yay author's prerogative. Sorry.

So much for fluff. I've learned that, as much as my inner fangirl loves reading heart-pounding romance, my inner elitist refuses to let me write it. It's almost like a sadistic pleasure, trying to keep away from the typical "romantic" stuff. I finally gave in during that last bit. Though it is kind of funny; I kept trying to think of alternative places for Riku to stay and that really seemed the most logical. Scary. O.O

Thanks to the readers, but cookies to the reviewers! Yay!


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